The racing on Sunday at Longchamp, above, highlighted the filly Gengis, who could well be worth following this season. Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images

11.45am Lantern makes late switch to line up in Nell Gwyn

Tony Paley: Sky Lantern will run in Wednesday's Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket following a late change of plan by Richard Hannon.

Her trainer had intended to run his Moyglare Stakes first in Saturday's Dubai Duty Free Stakes at Newbury, with stablemate Maureen heading to Newmarket instead. However, the Hannon team believe the ground will be in Sky Lantern's favour, and have opted to shoulder a 3lb penalty rather than run her on unsuitable ground at Newbury. That leaves Maureen to head to the Berkshire track for her seasonal reappearance.

"She was primed for Newbury anyway so it makes no difference. We put them in both races so we could have the choice.

"The reason we preferred Newbury for Sky Lantern was that she wouldn't have a penalty there, but the ground is going to be soft and she does need good ground."

Ed McMahon's Winning Express and the Mark Johnston-trained Baileys Jubilee finished second and third respectively in the Cheveley Park Stakes last term and are set to cross swords again, along with eighth-placed Jadanna.

Sir Henry Cecil's Hot Snap, a half-sister to multiple Group One winner Midday, and William Haggas' Lady Nouf are interesting contenders, having won their sole racecourse starts to date.

Hannon also field Light Up My Life, while Luca Cumani's Nargys claimed second in the Rockfel Stakes on her final start of 2012. Coincidently, Exactement, Reyaadah, Sorella Bella, Sound Of Guns and Waterway Run complete the field.

Monday's best bets, by Chris Cook

Watching the French Classic trials at Longchamp on Sunday, it strikes me that you'd have to be pretty desperate to back the favourite in races like those. Unexposed horses racing steadily before a sprint for home, with most trainers and jockeys focused on some future target rather than winning today . . . these are not circumstances favourable to heroic betting.

Yet both the Prix de la Grotte and the Prix de Fontainebleau featured odds-on favourites and there would presumably have been many a cry of 'Zut alors' or some stronger variant as both were turned over. I seem to remember touching on this subject after the French Guineas last year; the betting market there seems to behave as if it is determined to get behind the best horse, even in races where the identity of same is by no means clear, even in races that are by no means certain to be won by the best horse.

Tasaday, the 9-10 jolly in the fillies' race, managed to get beaten after being allowed a soft lead. Topaze Blanche, a staying-on third, looked to me like the one to take from the race, if there was one.

Gengis, fifth in the betting for the six-runner Fontainebleau, might not have been a fluke winner, since the eventual time was six seconds faster than for the Grotte and he managed to pass the entire field in the straight. He did that despite US Law setting a sustainable pace that allowed him to finish a close third, so it might be worth watching the race and keeping an eye out this season for Gengis, who is out of an unraced half-sister to Ashkalani.

So far as I know, none of these horses are likely to turn up in Britain but that needn't preclude us from taking an interest. I quite enjoy the odd speculative punt in French Group Ones and yesterday's trials have often thrown up the French Guineas winners, though a good draw and luck in running is almost as important as raw ability in the first two Classics over there.

And so to today's action at Newcastle, or Chateau Nouvel as it's known over the Channel. David O'Meara's Dick Bos (5.30) is pretty short at 7-4 for a decent seven-furlong handicap but still worth a look.

Were I a trainer, O'Meara is just about the last person I should want to see taking over one of my former charges because he has a very happy knack of producing improvement. The Racing Post notes that he has run six new acquisitions this season and won with all three that started at shorter than 13-2.

Dick Bos would be interesting even if he had stayed with Peter Chapple-Hyam, as he looks fairly treated on a mark of 80 for this handicap debut after winning a 16-runner Windsor maiden last backend. The runner-up, who trailled by four lengths, beat 15 rivals off 72 three weeks later.

Earlier, Le Chat D'Or (4.30) is attractive at 9-1 from a mark just 6lb higher than when he won over course and distance last June. He also won on his seasonal reappearance last year and there should hopefully be enough juice in the ground for him, despite drying conditions.

Resuming the theme of horses with new trainers, Mean It (3.50) appeals at 11-2 at Windsor on his first run since joining David Simcock from Tom Tate. He was 16 lengths clear of the third when narrowly beaten on his debut last June and the winner has since won off 82.

Mean It gets to race off 77 here, having won a Haydock maiden by three and a half lengths on his only subsequent start. Simcock has started the year well, with 20 winners at a 26% strike-rate.

Tipping competition - a new week

Congratulations to SmokingGun1, who nicked last week's competition at the last gasp. Shrewdette, who led into Friday, had a winner in Loughalder (9-2) but Smoking had the other two, Mrs Eff (11-2) and Earcomesthedream (22-1) to finish on the same score of +19.50. He wins, having posted his Friday tips 20 minutes earlier than Shrewdette.

This week's prize is copy of Racing & Football Outlook's Flat Guide 2013, your handy guide to the season which sort-of started on Friday. Features include interviews with top trainers who profile their horses; detailed results of the previous season; profiles of the RFO's horses to follow; top trainers, jockeys and owners for the new season; an illustated racecourse guide; reports from the training regions; plus top RFO punters Richard Birch, Steve Mellish and Steffan Edwards give their view on the season ahead. If you don't win, you can buy a copy here.

In the event of a tie at the end of the week, the winner will be the tipster who, from among those tied on the highest score, posted their tips earliest on the final day.

As ever, our champion will be the tipster who returns the best profit to notional level stakes of £1 at starting price on our nominated races, of which there will be four each day up until Friday. Non-runners count as losers.